Advocate
1651
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
1651
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Advocate is a 1651 ink by Wenceslaus Hollar, a Baroque work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This etching shows a group of five men walking together, with one holding a skull. The scene looks like a street in a city, with buildings and a church tower in the background. Around the main picture, smaller figures—some holding skulls, others playing—frame the edges like a border. The skulls and the serious faces suggest a warning about life’s fleeting nature. The text at the bottom is in Latin, hinting this might be a moral lesson dressed as art. Next, check out the technique: etching to see how artists like Hollar carved these sharp lines into metal.
